1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to experimentally simulating a rolling and drying operation typically performed with large amounts of material, such as in a paper-making process. It would be helpful to be able to perform experimental simulation of the process using only a small specimen of material, instead of the large amount of material used in the commercial process.
2. Prior Art
The prior art discloses commercial operations using rolls and dryers performed on individual pieces of material. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,270,038 (Corbin), 2,892,735 (Curler et al), and 3,467,060 (Klebanow et al). However none of these patents is directed to simulating an operation usually performed on a large web of material (such as a roll of paper) using only a small specimen of material.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,321,939 (Quinn) discloses a process performed on a continuous web of material. This patent contains no disclosure about how the process could be simulated using only a small specimen of material.
Hence there is a need for a process and apparatus for simulating rolling and drying operations using only a small specimen of material in place of the expensive large web or roll of material used in the commercial operation.